The Forgotten Warrior/Chapter 8
Chapter description :Dovewing is returning from a hunting patrol with Hazeltail and Thornclaw while inside the camp, there is a well-fed looking cat sitting in the middle of the clearing. She asks Brambleclaw who it is, and he explains that it's Sol. Despite most cats being excited to see Sol, Dovewing sees that not everyone is grateful to have him back. Purdy greets Sol with enthusiasm, while Mousefur hisses and threatens him. :Firestar sends out extra hunting patrols. While eating that night, Dovewing sees Sol telling stories to the apprentices. His stories are so outrageous and entertaining that the apprentices continue to listen to him long after their bedtimes. Cinderheart sees Dovewing looking sad, and they share a conversation with each other until Bumblestripe invites Dovewing to a walk in the forest. She declines, and Cinderheart tells Dovewing how much Bumblestripe likes her. Dovewing decides to follow Bumblestripe. She wanders around the forest for a while, until she finds him by the lake. They decide to go on a walk in the forest. After talking about Sol for a while, they decide to race each other to a tree stump. While racing, Dovewing begins to hear what's going on across the lake. Dovewing's senses are sometimes blurry and sometimes with clarity, as if they are surging in and out. :She suddenly realizes with joy and relief that Lionblaze was right; her senses were overwhelmed by the mountains and needed time to recover. Dovewing, due to her lack of concentration on the race, trips over some ivy and is flung onto the pebbles. Bumblestripe sprints past her, and she realizes that she tripped over ivy. Bumblestripe catches his breath and asks Dovewing if she is alright. Dovewing is battered and is struggling to catch her breath, though she doesn't care, as her senses are back and she is okay. Bumblestripe tells Dovewing that she would have won if she hadn't tripped. Bumblestripe suddenly acts shy and lovestruck and asks Dovewing if she wants to see something. Dovewing, half-listening, responds yes without thinking, since she is still listening beyond ThunderClan territory with her senses. :Dovewing snaps out of it and follows Bumblestripe to a tiny clearing with beautiful jasmine. Dovewing is awed by the place, and personally enjoys the scent of the flowers and the warmth of Bumblestripe at her side. Bumblestripe tells her it is even better in greenleaf, when all of the flowers are out. Dovewing suddenly discovers that Bumblestripe is afraid that she will make fun of him. Dovewing assures him that it is lovely. Bumblestripe suddenly looks upward, and Dovewing follows his gaze to a gap between the tree branches from which they could see the stars. Bumblestripe says that he likes staring at his ancestors, and even wonders which ones are his. :He even adds that he thinks that Dovewing's ancestors would shine very brightly. Dovewing says that she doubts that, and that her ancestors would probably hiding behind a cloud because they were always getting into trouble. Bumblestripe purrs and points to a star that looks like it is stuck in the branches; he jokes it is one of his ancestors. Dovewing muses if they are watching their every move from up there. Bumblestripe agrees and says they glare down at everything they do wrong. He bets that the one he pointed to knows about when he put fire ants in Blossomfall's nest once. Bumblestripe says that she got her revenge by pushing him into the stream when he wasn't looking. :Dovewing points to another star and remarks that that one is glaring down at Blossomfall, then. She also adds that another one is annoyed with her since she forgot to change the elders' bedding once. Bumblestripe lapses into silence and Dovewing is content under the jasmine with Bumblestripe. But she also admits that it wasn't the same as the nights she spent with Tigerheart. But she could think of no place she'd rather be than right there, together with Bumblestripe. :The next day, she is practicing hunting skills with Ivypool, Cinderheart, and her former mentor, Lionblaze. Cinderheart watches Ivypool's hunting crouch. Ivypool explodes into an enormous spring, after Cinderheart gives her a bit of advice, and lands flatly on the primrose Cinderheart suggested as a target, flattening it to the ground. Lionblaze praises her and tells Dovewing to do the same. She had slept well the night before, and today her senses were even clearer. : Lionblaze checks her position. Dovewing stretches out her senses while her former mentor does this. Lionblaze comments that she is in a good mood, and Dovewing snaps back into where she is. Cinderheart agrees and says that she had a very nice walk the night before. Lionblaze is confused and Cinderheart purrs that she couldn't possibly tell him. Lionblaze gives Dovewing a final piece of advice and tells her to try and leap on the primrose. Dovewing mutters that Ivypool had already demolished it. Dovewing leaps and shreds what is left of the pale yellow flower. :Lionblaze praises her. Ivypool asks Dovewing about her walk and says that she came into the den very late. Dovewing states that she went down to the lake with Bumblestripe. Ivypool is happy and asks if they are going to be mates. Dovewing is agitated but says that is the last thing on her mind. Ivypool teases her by saying that they'd have the cutest kits together. Dovewing suggests that they go hunting. :Dovewing purrs that she feels that she could run all the way around the lake. She suddenly sees Cinderheart blinking with pleasure, and realizes with dismay that she thinks it is because of Bumblestripe. Lionblaze agrees that they should hunt, but also says that they should have a contest; they had to start from where they were and the first cat to make a catch wins. Ivypool pricks her ears and asks what the winner actually wins. Cinderheart suggests that the winner gets the first pick of the fresh-kill pile. The rest of the cats agree, and the cats start their contest. Dovewing picks up the scent of a moorhen with her senses. :Cinderheart and Ivypool set off, though Lionblaze still watches Dovewing. Dovewing sprints towards the lake, catches the moorhen with an impressive high jump, and goes back to the clearing. Dovewing ends up being the last one back, noting that the lake is very far from there. Ivypool sympathetically mews that she had bad luck. Cinderheart announces that Ivypool was the first back, so she wins. Dovewing tells her sister that she did well and they set off back to camp. Characters Major }} Minor *Sol *Purdy *Ivypool *Bumblestripe *Cinderheart *Mousewhisker *Whitewing *Cherrypaw *Molepaw *Poppyfrost *Berrynose *Lionblaze }} Mentioned *Thornclaw *Blossomfall *Tigerheart *Mousefur *Firestar *Sandstorm *Graystripe *Millie *Dustpelt *Ferncloud *Squirrelflight *Dawnpelt *Toadstep }} Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:The Forgotten Warrior Category:Omen of the Stars arc